Holidays, Hospitals, Health

This is what it looked like in the summer at the beach in Australia. Flood rain. Well my friends it is about time I started blogging again. This site would not let me in and had to change password, although I did not forget it, but I guess it must be time sensitive.

Had a wonderful trip for my nephew's wedding in Australia.

It is supposed to be hot and humid and all we had was cold and rain, we were in the highlands about 1.5 hours south of Sydney, very beautiful, the ceremony was delayed and hour till we got thru the downpour then the sun came out. We had a marvelous day and a different kind of wedding outdoors, with the bride and groom and friends doing all the decoration.

A professional could not have done better. It was wonderful to have a wedding event for 4 days and was able to visit with friends and relatives in a calm setting.

Unfortunately I had a femur problem and my leg was re-injured and that put a big dent in our plans, then the roads flooded, we had 2 sunny mild days at the beach but 3 days of constant rain.

Had to come home early and at the airport the wheelchair tipped over with me in it. The airline tried to keep me off the plane but I said no way, I must get home to get my leg fixed. (I think they thought they would have to divert the plane over the pacific somewhere but I did very well) The flight attendants were kind of shocked I did not drop over dead or something. I told them it takes more than that to do me in.

After arriving home, with a few other diversions like no seats from Los Angeles and an overnight stay, we arrived home next pm late, to find out heater had gone out and it was Sunday. 45 Degrees in the house. The neighbors rallied around like troopers and we had lovely personal heaters till the found a part, which took 24 hours to get.

Then in 5 days off to the hospital to have a rod placed in my other femur. Went very well but had to stay 2 weeks to get back on my feet. My biggest problem is the holes that the MM keeps making in my bones. (I went to the ER in Australia to a public hospital, I can tell you I wanted to make sure my leg was not broken, what a bunch of people who had no clue what was going on. My sister an RN came with me, and we saw my x-rays on the screen and could see no break. However they wanted to do all sorts of things, I said no thanks and ran as fast as I could hobble back to the car. Scary!!!!) So much for people thinking subsidized medicine is the answer. The hospital was probably over 100 years old and believe me the equipment not much better.

I did my initial RN training in Aussie but how things have changed, there are still a handful of hospitals up to standard, but that is only if you pay for private insurance.

Hospital stay here was good, and after my mishap with the staff (broken collar bone) last go around the doc asked every day, "are you being treated well?"

After 6 weeks of various radiations on my "holes" am now having a rest. I have upped my natural supplements, added something new, and have half hearted agreed to a lesser chemo, which is in a milder dose, just to get those wretched holes to stop appearing, then back big time on my supplements. My "newest " supplement has had one super side effect. MY RBC's or Red blood cells were extremely low. My really nice oncologist said, your bone marrow just can't manufacture enuf and you might need a transfusion. Well low and behold, 3 weeks of new "stuff" and RBC's are normal along with everything else except the white cells, that took a beating from the radiation. So one must always be vigilant with one's own body.

I was given a tip on Gallium Nitrate, This was used up to 2003, according to the web, to help heal the MM patients, especially the ones who had holes in their bones. i wonder why it disappeared. I have a theory but no one can tell me if my theory is correct. I think the Gallium Nitrate cannot be patented so they formed another substance to do the same job. However it is very ineffective, (my opinion along with many others) It coats the bone but not into the bone. Side effects can be bad, even death!! It makes you wonder but these are just my opinions.

So my friends have a great week and will fill you in on the gallium nitrate when I have more information.

No Chemo for me until all wbc's are normal.

Have been doing a lot of fresh juices which really help. (MY jaw cracked while in hospital as I had a lesion at the hinge, and I ate a carrot, the snap could be heard a mile away, after radiation, can at least open my mouth to clean my teeth and gum some food down.)

MM patients are on an eternal journey so one must be strong. Prayers and blessings to all!!